Manny Pacquiao Vs. Timothy Bradley Walkout, Intro, and Decision Videos Live at the MGM Grand

Cohen Congratulates Usmanee for Gutty Performance Against Beltran

Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions wishes to congratulate his fighter, Afghani-Canadian super featherweight contender Arash Usmanee (20-2-1, 10 KOs) who stepped up in weight on short notice to face WBO #1 ranked Raymundo Beltran (29-6-1, 17 KOs) for the WBO NABO Lightweight title last Saturday night, April 12. Fighting in the co-main event of the HBO Pay-Per-View card featuring the Timothy Bradley vs. Manny Pacquiao rematch at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Usmanee put in a brave performance against the larger Beltran, but became understandably fatigued as the fight progressed. Although it was Beltran who was awarded the unanimous decision by scores of 118-110, 117-111 and 117-111, Usmanee made many new fans with his courage in taking on a larger man on short notice and hanging in for 12 tough rounds. "Arash never ceases to amaze me with his toughness," said Cohen. "How many fighters in the world could step up a weight class on less than a week's notice and go toe-to-toe for 12 grueling rounds with a top fighter like Ray Beltran?" With the victory, Beltran earned the right to face unbeaten WBO lightweight titleholder Terence Crawford, while Usmanee will return to his natural weight of 130 lbs and continue to campaign for another shot at the world championship. "Arash will fight anyone in the world at super featherweight," continued Cohen. "He beat (top contender) Rances Barthelemy everywhere but the scorecards and had a draw with (current IBF champ) Argenis Mendez. He's an elite super featherweight and his short-notice foray into the lightweight division, and the guts he showed doing it, only further solidify what a world-class warrior he truly he is. I'm very proud of him and he will be back at 130 lbs very soon."

PACQUIAO vs. BRADLEY 2 ** In-Depth Preview and Analysis **

By: Tony Penecale

Moments after the final bell rang throughout the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, most observers felt that Manny Pacquiao clearly defeated Timothy Bradley in their first fight, eliminating Bradley's unbeaten record in the process.  While it looked to be a one-sided victory, it was not going to be remembered as a highlight performance for the great Filipino warrior.  Bradley had injured one foot in the early going and later twisted his other ankle.  Pacquiao had essentially dominated a hobbled opponent.   

Then, the announcer read the decision.

When first announced it was a split decision, the crowd reacted with shock.  It was unimaginable that one of the judges awarded the bout to Bradley as the consensus among most boxing pundits was that Pacquiao won as many as 11 of the 12 rounds.  The shock was even more evident as the announcement was made awarding Bradley a highly controversial decision, with judges Duane Ford and CJ Ross favoring him by a two-point margin.

Nearly two years have passed since that controversial result.  Pacquiao suffered a major setback when he was brutally knocked out six months later by his long-time rival, Juan Manuel Marquez.  Pacquiao was boxing aggressively but got reckless attacking his seemingly wounded prey and ended up face-first on the canvas, not moving for several minutes.  He has since rebounded with a convincing win over Brandon Rios.

Bradley was out to prove his detractors wrong in his first defense against Ruslan Provodnikov, which nearly became his last.  He went iron-for-iron with the Siberian warrior and paid a heavy price, suffering a severe concussion in a winning effort.  His next effort was much more disciplined, as he did what Pacquaio failed to do, beating Marquez cleanly and winning a decision disputed by only one judge.

It has come full circle now and it comes back to Pacquiao and Bradley in a long-awaited rematch.  Can Pacquiao again turn in a dominant performance and this time earn the win that most felt he deserved in their first encounter?  Or is his time in the spotlight truly over?  Bradley contends he was deserving of that victory and believes he won 8 of the 12 rounds.  Can he improve upon that and prove his doubters wrong?  The answers will come in the center of the ring at the MGM Grand.

AGE, RECORD, AND STATS

Pacquiao:               

Age:  35 years old

                                    Record:  55-5-2 (38 Knockouts)

                                    Height:  5’6”

                                    Weight:  145 ** Weight for last bout (11-24-13)

                                    Reach:  67”

Bradley:                  

Age:  30 years old

                                    Record:  31-0 (12 Knockouts)

                                    Weight:  146   * * Weight for last bout (10-12-13)

                                    Reach:  69”

RING ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Pacquiao:               

WBC Flyweight Champion (’98-‘99)

                                    IBF Super Bantamweight Champion (’01-’03)

                                    WBC Super Featherweight Champion (’08)

                                    WBC Lightweight Champion (‘08)

IBO Junior Welterweight Champion (’09)

WBO Welterweight Champion (’09-‘12)

                                    Ring Magazine Pound-4-Pound #1 Boxer (’08-‘12)

                                    Ring Magazine Pound-4-Pound #7 Boxer (Pres)

                                                                                   

Bradley:                  

WBC Junior Welterweight Champion (’08-‘12)

                                    WBO Junior Welterweight Champion (’09-‘12)

                                    WBO Welterweight Champion (’12-Pres)

                                    Ring Magazine Pound-4-Pound #3 Boxer (Pres)

                                   

                                                                       

STYLE

Pacquiao:      

Pacquiao boxes from a southpaw stance, moving forward while bobbing and feinting his way in.  Once in close, he uses his right hand to find the range and then unleashes his powerful left, either straight or looping, and will often double and triple it to the body and head.  Uses quick head shifts to slip punches while moving forward.  Has soundly developed under the tutelage of Freddie Roach, developing a decent right hook, either as a lead punch or thrown behind the left.  Uses quick head shifts to slip punches while moving forward. Is no longer the feared finisher he once was earlier in his career.

Bradley:         

Bradley is a quick but physical boxer, who likes to use his footwork to apply steady pressure.  Possesses a good jab that can be used to open up opportunities or disrupt his opponent’s rhythm.  Attacks the body well, but best punch is the overhand right.  Often leads with his head but overall has a solid defense.  Sometimes he will let his pride get in the way and fight toe-to-toe instead of boxing smartly and using his considerable skills.

STRENGTHS

Pacquiao:      

* Unorthodox Style – Pacquiao is very unorthodox, even for a southpaw.  He moves straight in but is hard to time with his bobbing and head feints.  Before most opponents can time his onrushes, he is throwing whirlwind punches from a variety of angles.

                           * Speed – Pacquiao is fleet of foot and the owner of very fast hands, especially for a boxer with such considerable power.  He quickly moves into position and fires rapid one-two combinations and has expanded his arsenal to include blinding combinations of hooks, uppercuts, and double or triple left hands.

                           * Stamina – Pacquiao is always in tremendous shape and fights just as hard in the last round as he does in the beginning.  He applies a lot of pressure and is constantly punching, wearing opponents down in the process.

Bradley:         

* Physicality – Bradley is a supremely conditioned and physical boxer.  He is adept at using his physical nature to force opponents backwards and wear them out with his strength on the inside.

                           * Boxing Ability – Not only is Bradley a very strong fighter, he is also an intelligent and quick-fisted boxer.  He uses exceptional footwork to create angles and openings to land punches.  Also works very effectively as a counter-puncher.

                           * Overhand Right – Despite notching only 12 knockouts in 28 wins, Bradley is a better puncher than his record indicates.  His money punch is a tremendous overhand right.  Following a slight upper-body dip, he launches the punch from a high angle, crashing it down on his opponent’s jaw.

WEAKNESSES

Pacquiao:    

 * Killer Instinct – Pacquiao was once regarded as a ruthless buzzsaw, cutting through opponents until they succumbed.  He has since lost that edge, failing to win a fight by stoppage since 2009.  More of a concern is on several occasions, he eased up on outclassed opponents, allowing them to survive the last few rounds.

                           * Invincibility Gone – The controversial loss to Bradley did not deflate Pacquiao’s aura of invincibility.  However, his crushing knockout loss to rival Marquez was a devastating blow to Pacquiao’s mystique. 

                           * Age – Pacquiao is no longer the phenom he was in his 20s.  He is now in his mid-30s.  As he has physically aged, he has also taken on a super human schedule with political aspirations in his home country, numerous personal appearances, and several difficult bouts. 

Bradley:         

* Pride – While pride is usually a good thing, sometimes it can be a negative.  Bradley can be too proud for his own good.  He was determined to go toe-to-toe with the dangerous but less-talented Ruslan Provodnikov and suffered a lot of punishment in a gallant but damaging winning effort.  He also steadfastly proclaims he rightly won the first fight with Pacquiao, and that belief could leave him with the mindset that improvement is not necessary.

                           * Dirty Fighter Reputation– Bradley often leads with his head, which has caused head clashes in several of his bouts.  Since his opponents have often suffered the worst of these clashes, Bradley is quickly gaining a bad reputation.  The referees are constantly on the lookout for dirty tactics, so warnings and point deductions are always a threat.

                           * Punching Power – Despite being a physically-powerful specimen, Bradley is lacking in pure punching power.  In 31 career victories, Bradley has only notched 12 victories by way of TKO.  He has only stopped 1 out of his last 13 opponents, and that was a well-past-his-prime Joel Casamayor.

PREVIOUS BOUT

Pacquiao:      

(11-24-13) Pacquiao got back in the winners column with a dominant decision victory over the tough-but-limited Brandon Rios.  Pacquiao pounded Rios throughout, turning his face into a lumpy, crimson mask. Still, he failed to finish off his victim late in the fight when the time was ripe.

Bradley:         

(10-12-13) Bradley scored his career-best victory against one of the premier boxers of this generation: Future Hall-of-Famer Juan Manuel Marquez.  Despite only winning by a split decision verdict, it was a clear Bradley victory.

3 BEST PERFORMANCES

Pacquiao:      

* Oscar De la Hoya (12/06/08) – It’s hard to imagine now, but the consensus at the time was that De la Hoya would destroy the smaller Pacquiao in a landslide.  It was a landslide, alright, but it was Pacquiao dishing out the beating, ripping De la Hoya apart with both hands.  After eight one-sided and brutal rounds, a swollen and bloodied De la Hoya was beaten into permanent retirement.

                           * Miguel Cotto (11/14/09) – Pacquiao impressively dismantled the larger and more physically imposing Cotto.  Pacquiao dropped the Puerto Rican superstar twice early and had him in a defensive shell from the 6th round on, battering him until the referee stopped the bout in the 12th round.

                           * Ricky Hatton (05/02/09) – Pacquio ran through Hatton in fast and destructive fashion.  Hatton, while still an underdog, was expected to provide a challenge with his strength and mauling tactics.  Pacquiao unveiled an improved right hook and had Hatton down twice in the 1st round before crushing him with a devastating knockout in the 2nd.

Bradley:         

* Juan  Manuel Marquez (10/12/13) – After two consecutive rocky performances, Bradley clearly outfought Pacquiao-conqueror Marquez, winning a split decision that was not as close as the scores indicated.  Bradley controlled the action, boxing well on the outside, and superb on the inside, en route to the most dominant win of his career.

                           * Ruslan Provodnikov (3/16/13) – The 2013 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year is most remembered for the periods when Bradley was on the receiving end.  He was rocked badly in the 2^nd and 6^th rounds and dropped with seconds remaining in the 12^th.  What is most impressive is how he responded, boxing brilliantly for the majority of the contest and earning a hard-fought unanimous decision.

                           * Junior Witter (5/10/08) – Bradley ventured over to England and shocked the hometown favorite Witter, winning his first world championship in the process.  After a tactical first few rounds, Bradley broke through in the 6th round, landing a sweet overhand right that floored Witter hard.  Bradley was able to ride the momentum on his way to a split decision victory, the scores being much closer than the bout actually was.

QUESTIONS

Pacquiao:      

* Can he regain the killer instinct of his prime?

                           * Will he try too hard to impress?

                           * Has he lost confidence in his chin?

Bradley:         

* Will he abandon a smarter game plan and try to knock Pacquiao out?

                           * What will he do if he falls behind on the cards?

* Does he truly believe he won the first fight?

                          

PENECALE PREDICTION

Bradley will open the bout using plenty of rapid movement. He'll be jabbing from a distance, trying to dictate the pace and tempo, while keeping Pacquiao from setting his feet.  Pacquiao will jab and feint a few times with his left, hoping to get Bradley to react and leave himself open.  The few times Pacquiao gets close, Bradley will tie him up on the inside.

The cautious pace will continue in the 2^nd round with Pacquiao throwing more punches but nothing significantly landing.  Bradley will land a few counter punches.  During the early stages, there will be more feinting and moving than actual punches landed.

Pacquiao will land a few hard single lefts in the 3^rd and 4^th rounds but will be unable to mount a consistent offense.  Bradley will fight a rough style on the inside, holding and using his free hand to bang to Pacquiao’s body, using his superior strength to back Pacquiao up.

The middle rounds will alternate between Pacquiao’s flashier and harder single punches and Bradley’s steady and consistent boxing attack.  Bradley will land more punches and control the action, but Pacquiao will get the crowd’s attention and reaction with a few single left hands that snap Bradley’s head back, causing the sweat to fly.

Pacquaio will have his best round in the 8^th, stunning Bradley with a right hook-straight left combination.  Bradley’s legs will buckle as he is trying to steady himself, and Pacquiao will attack with swarming punches.  Several will land, and in Bradley’s attempt to clinch the combatants will clash heads, halting Pacquiao’s momentum.

After surviving the 8^th round scare, Bradley will keep his distance during the 9^th and 10^th rounds, jabbing, pivoting, and keeping Pacquiao at bay.  Pacquiao will feint and try to throw combinations, but each time Bradley will tie his arms up and force him back.  It will not be pretty, but it will be effective.

Pacquiao will land a left uppercut followed by an arching left in the 11^th, and again it will be Bradley on the defensive.  Try as hard as he might, Pacquaio will press but find it difficult to penetrate Bradley’s defense.

The 12^th round will see the long-awaited fire fight as both fighters know how close it is.  Pacquiao’s sneaky left hand will collide with Bradley’s face and chin several times.  Bradley will respond with two-fisted counter punches as the final bell rings.

Many in attendance will feel that Bradley is deserving of the victory by the narrowest of margins.  But this time it will be Pacquiao winning a majority decision by scores of 114-114, 115-113 and 115-114, setting up the potential rubber match.

Top Contender Arash Usmanee Lands Huge Opportunity in Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 Co-Main

Will face Raymundo Beltran for WBO NABO Lightweight title this Saturday in Las Vegas Afghani-Canadian super featherweight contender Arash Usmanee (20-1-1, 10 KOs) will step into the highest-profile fight of his life on short notice and face WBO #1 ranked Raymundo Beltran (28-6-1, 17 KOs) for the WBO NABO Lightweight title this Saturday, April 12, in the co-main event of the HBO Pay-Per-View card featuring the Timothy Bradley vs. Manny Pacquiao rematch at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. An extended illness suffered by former two-time world champion Roman "Rocky" Martínez forced him to cancel, creating the huge opportunity for Usmanee, who was already in the gym preparing for another fight. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 tickets, priced starting $435, are now available for purchase at Ticketnetwork. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Buy Tickets Center at (855) 859-4045. Usmanee is ranked #9 at super featherweight by the IBF. Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, he and his family moved to Alberta, Canada, when he was three years old. He now resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. The aggressive 32-year-old's career has been marred by controversy thus far, as his two biggest career fights have both ended with questionable outcomes. In his only defeat, Usmanee dropped a highly controversial 12-round decision to Rances "Kid Blast" Barthelemy on January 4 of last year. Fighting for the IBF #2 ranking and live on ESPN Friday Night Fights, Usmanee appeared to take the fight over at the midway point and grew more dominant as the rounds wore on. However, the judges saw it another way. And then, in August of last year, Usmanee missed winning a world championship by a single point when he fought to a draw with Dominican champion Argenis Mendez at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York. Beltran has also seen his share of hard luck in the ring. He was last seen fighting to a very debatable draw with then-world champion Ricky Burns in September of last year. Burns was down in the eighth and suffered a broken jaw in the second round that subsequently required the insertion of a titanium plate to repair. And yet it was not enough to sway the judges, as the fight was held in Burns' homeland of Scotland. As tough as they come, 32-year-old Beltran was born in Los Mochis, Mexico, but now lives in Phoenix, Arizona. The pair will not only be vying for the WBO NABO Lightweight title, but also a place in the front of the line to face new champion Terence Crawford, who defeated Burns by decision in March of this year. Usamanee's promoter, Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions, says the match-up has explosive written all over it. "Neither of these guys take many backwards steps in the ring. It's going to be a war of attrition from the first round. You could easily say this is a battle between the uncrowned IBF Champion and the uncrowned WBO Champion. It's a very high-level match-up between two of the toughest guys in the sport. It's going to be a sensational slugfest!"

DEMETRIUS ANDRADE WINS WBO JR. MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE WITH 12-ROUND SPLIT DECISION OVER MARTIROSYAN

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS (November 9, 2013)—Demetrius Andrade won the WBO jr. middleweight championship with a workmanlike split decision over 2004 U.S. Olympian and previously undefeated Vanes Martirosyan at the American Bank Center.

Andrade of Providence, Rhode Island, is now 20-0 with 13 knockouts and is promoted by Arthur Pelullo’s Banner Promotions and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing.

Andrade proved early that he had the heart of a champion as he came back from a flash first -round knockdown.

Andrade got off the deck and dominated the rest of the bout as he stuck his hard right jab consistently in Martirosyan’s face.

Andrade’s best round was the sixth when he hit Martirosyan with repeated power shots that raised swelling around his left eye.

Andrade was never challenged down the stretch as he put on a beautiful boxing exhibition that Martirosyan had no answer for.

According to Compubox, Andrade landed 219 of 769 while Martirosyan only managed 83 of 443.

Two judges had Andrade winning by scores of 117-110 and 114-113, While a third judge turned in a dubious card that had Martirosyan ahead 115-112.

“He caught me but I stayed focused,” said Andrade about the knockdown. “I stayed focused and continued to jab and started to pick him apart.  I started to feel comfortable inside and won the fight.”

On becoming a world champion, “This feels great and my time is now.”

Said co-promoter Arthur Pelullo, “This is what we envisioned when we signed him.  That was to become world champion and he did that tonight.  We feel that he is on track to become the best jr. middleweight in the world.  Winning this belt puts him in the mix to be able to prove that.”

Demetrius Andrade set to make Statement vs. Vanes Martirosyan

DEMETRIUS 'Boo Boo' ANDRADE    2008 U. S. Olympian

For Immediate Release Saturday night on HBO for vacant WBO junior middleweight title ATLANTA (November 4, 2013) - As he prepares to break his Atlanta training camp and depart for this Saturday night's fight against 2004 U.S. Olympian Vanes "Nightmare" Martirosyan (33-0-1, 21 KOs) for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior middleweight title, undefeated Demetrius "Boo Boo" Andrade (19-0, 13 KOs) is set to make a major statement in Corpus Christi, Texas. Andrade vs. Martirosyan will be part of an HBO tripleheader, headlined by WBO junior lightweight Roman Martinez' title defense against Mikey Garcia, plus a rematch between former world champions Nonito Donaire and Vic Darchinyan. Martirosyan has a powerful team comprised of promoter Bob Arum (Top Rank), manager Cameron Duncan and Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach (although he is overseas training Manny Pacquiao). Andrade, a 2008 U.S. Olympian, is co-promoted by Star Boxing and Banner Promotions, managed by New Hampshire businessman Ed Farris, and trained by his father, Paul Andrade. Andrade understands boxing's political power may rest in his opponent's corner, especially fighting in a high-profile event promoted by Martirosyan's promoter, Top Rank, but the 25-year-old Rhode Islander plans to control the action from the opening bell and steal the entire show with a scintillating knockout performance. "I saw what happened in the (Julio Cesar, Jr.) Chavez-(Brian) Vera fight," Andrade explained.  "We've all seen what can happen when a name boxer is fighting on a show promoted by his promoter.  My job is to go in and stop him (Martirosyan).  You never want to leave the fight in the hands of the judges.  I learned that lesson the hard way in The Olympics." Favored to capture a gold medal in Beijing, China, 2007 AIBA World champion Andrade was the victim of highly questionable scoring, losing on points in the quarterfinal round to Korean boxer Kim Jung-Joo, 11-9, at the 2008 Olympic Games.        "I've trained hard to be fully prepared for this fight," Andrade continued.  "I'm in 15-round shape for a 12-round fight but it's not going the distance.  Once I get in the ring, I'm going to do whatever I need to win.  I am going to beat him and the knockout will come.  I'm coming to win every round decisively.....until it ends in a KO.  I am going to beat him down for three minutes of every round.  I am going to make a statement that I'm the best 154-pound fighter in the world." Andrade was originally slated to challenge then WBO champion Zaurbek Baysangurov this past July, but the Russian pulled out of the fight with an injury and was stripped of his title belt, leaving the world title vacant for the WBO's two highest rated contenders, No. 1 Martirosyan and No. 2 Andrade. Go online to www.BooBooBoxing for additional information about Demetrius Andrade and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @BooBooBoxing.